Palpation is an important diagnostic technique that involves feeling the part to be examined and comparing that to the feel of a `normal` organ. This of course requires a knowledge of the location, size and texture of the organs, both normal and abnormal.
Abdominal palpation is an especially important part of every physical examination in veterinary diagnosis with animal patients. It is also essential to the successful collection of laboratory specimens, such as urine, for analysis.
Unfortunately, this important and universally used technique is difficult for students to master. It is one thing to learn theory from anatomy texts, lectures and video tapes, and quite another to practice it on live animals. Palpation of formalin fixed anatomy specimens is artificial and of limited value. While palpation of live animals is realistic, it does not afford students the opportunity to obtain direct feedback as to whether what they think they are palpating is what they are in fact palpating. It is difficult for a student to palpate and visualize abdominal structures concurrently. The student and instructor cannot both palpate the same structure simultaneously. Translation of palpation theory to actual practice can thus lead to anxiety on the part of both the student and the animal.
Although various simulators have been available heretofore for practicing techniques such as CPR, intubation, suture tying, etc. on human patients, there has not been available a simulator for practicing palpation on animals. A need has thus arisen for a canine abdominal palpation simulator.